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Soundcloud - Sign up today (BIAB mix) Youtube - original mix n.b. This Youtube version contains my bass, acoustic guitar, but no BIAB piano. I gave myself a challenge to write a song using an upwards or downwards line with semitone steps. I obliquely fulfilled this in the pre-chorus in the rising bass line. The title for the song was the first thing, accompanied by the melody - it came to me in the bathroom, so I quickly got it down, knowing these ideas have the habit of disappearing unless recorded. I finished the chorus quickly, then through a series of iterative steps, ended up with the verse chords, melody and lyrics. It bothered me however, that the theme of the verses (hardship) and chorus (aspiration) were at odds. In the end, I left the awkward contrast. Instrument-wise, I played added rhythm ‘morse code’ guitars, flute and piano intro keys and all vocals. This was arranged, recorded and mixed in Cakewalk. The Youtube version (link above) contains my bass and acoustic guitar i.e. no BIAB acoustic guitar, bass or piano. ****** Song Summary ************* Style is _OUTING.STY (Outing Bright Indie Guitar) RealTracks in style: 3501:Bass, Electric, NashvilleRadioBalladAB Ev16 075 RealTracks in style: 2808:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm SoulfulPop16thsMike Ev16 065 RealTracks in style: 3654:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking IndiePickingBright Ev16 075 RealDrums in style:NashvilleEven16^1-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride Recorded and mixed in Cakewalk, with added vocals, backing vocals, 'morse code' rhythm guitars, piano intro, outro lead guitars, sforzando flute style motif via M-Audio Oxygen 49 MKV and double lead guitar playing the outro instrumental. ******************* LYRICSINTRO VERSE 1 You grew your wings, did all the things but you ain’t going nowhere You practiced your flapping, but with no chance to fly Though you learned to sing, didn’t mean a thing with no-one to hear you And here you are without guitar and you’re wondering why? PRE-CHORUS You’re turning the handle but the doors are closed The party’s raging and you’re stuck at home No-one’s listening and your mind’s about to explode CHORUS Sign up today to love sign up today to kindness It’s easy to ignore it all, but better to knock down the walls That hold us back and keep us apart Sign up today for hope say goodbye to blindness You have to seek the best in all, lifting up those prone to fall Do your best to find the common ground Sign up today VERSE 3 You honed your skills through many a drill, but with no chance to use them You thought you could flourish, but you’re withered and dry Not all around you are not as affected You’re tied to the ground, and not able to rise PRE-CHORUS You’re saving your money and your balance has grown There’s many like you so you’re not alone No-one’s listening and you’re left without a home CHORUS Sign up today to love sign up today to kindness It’s easy to ignore it all, but better to knock down the walls That hold us back and keep us apart Sign up today for hope say goodbye to blindness You have to seek the best in all, lifting up those prone to fall Building bridges and being kind, reaching out without losing your mind Do your best find the common ground OUTRO INSTRUMENTAL
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I really like this. You really have a good song here.
That chorus is really powerful. I immediately thought about the song We Are The World. It's that kind of chorus. The verses are good, and support the chorus but the chorus is absolutely beautiful.
I guess the part I'm hearing is the Morse code guitar... I like the groove it's establishing. However it's a little bit too loud in the mix by a few dB and the vocal could stand to come up a few dB. It might just be that the vocals are not loud enough and when bumped up to sit on top, everything else might be in its place. Don't bury the vox in the music. This song is about the message in the words.
I found a few places where the phrasing was awkward that could benefit from a simple lyric revision to fit in the natural groove. Nothing to big that can't be fixed by a quick punch in/out at those places.
Excellent work
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Andrew,
Great song. A very cool set of lyrics and an excellent vocal. I also really like your instrumentation here - a perfect fit.
Another good one!
Bob
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Andrew, you've got a great Bowie groove going on here. Like the strong stereo image supporting the vocals. Those organs(?) sounds are very cool, too. And a nice bit of songcraft as well. I don't find the theme dissonance a distraction whatsoever. That's just like, y'know? Nice one!
DC Ron
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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...That chorus is really powerful. I immediately thought about the song We Are The World. It's that kind of chorus. The verses are good, and support the chorus but the chorus is absolutely beautiful.
I guess the part I'm hearing is the Morse code guitar... I like the groove it's establishing. However it's a little bit too loud in the mix by a few dB and the vocal could stand to come up a few dB. It might just be that the vocals are not loud enough and when bumped up to sit on top, everything else might be in its place. Don't bury the vox in the music. This song is about the message in the words.
I found a few places where the phrasing was awkward that could benefit from a simple lyric revision to fit in the natural groove. Nothing to big that can't be fixed by a quick punch in/out at those places. ... Thanks Herb - that is really useful feedback - I will revisit the levels of morse code guitar and vocals. Also re the phrasing - I noticed recently it is something I do - some of my songs have tricky phrasing, and given I don't have the most agile tongue, I can sometimes fall over myself, or have the emphasis on the wrong syllable making it sound un-natural. I think this is because I have a proclivity to demote the importance of lyrics compared to music. I'll definitely list this as re-record/remix project. Great song. A very cool set of lyrics and an excellent vocal. I also really like your instrumentation here - a perfect fit. Another good one! Thanks Bob. Within my limited skill set, I like coming up with interesting sounds for instruments - thus the 'morse code' guitars. Re the lyrics, I am passionate about young people being able to get into housing. Here in Australia, our successive governments have had all the 'policy levers' wrong where they incentivise via tax breaks investment in property and have done very little in terms of social and affordable housing. The contrast between verses and chorus is relevant because it is tantamount to saying to young people and others looking at home ownership 'Chin up!' It has a double meaning in that those of us in homes should have more empathy for those that don't. Thanks for your generous words, Bob! Andrew, you've got a great Bowie groove going on here. Like the strong stereo image supporting the vocals. Those organs(?) sounds are very cool, too. And a nice bit of songcraft as well. I don't find the theme dissonance a distraction whatsoever. That's just like, y'know? Nice one! Thanks Ron! The organ I think you're referring to are my keys playing Sforzando flutes - I'm trying to replicate a mellotron sound (e.g. Strawberry Fields). The actual 'riff' played by the keys was inspired by The Jayhawks 'I'd run away' and in particular, keyboardist Karen Grotberg's playing in the chorus of that song. Thanks for listening! Andrew
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Just read the title --where do I sign? Speaking of which, I guess I forgot to push ALL for notifications on you videos. Corrected that. Yep, I'm signed up to get notice as soonas you post.
Bathrooms are great places for creativity, and you came up with a fun melody, and YES, you accepted the challenge and excelled in execution. Harship to aspiration is a progression. I'm on my 3rd listen, one on SC, and two on YT. Very different. I like the YT one better, although SC notoriously (yet arguably) has better sound quality. Keep challenger yourself, Andrew, and keep posting the wonderful results.
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What a great message, "You have to seek the best in all, lifting up those prone to fall" and "Building bridges and being kind, reaching out without losing your mind", such pleasant positivity in finding the common ground.
Very catchy chorus. Good vocals and the harmonies work very well. I enjoyed the upwards & downwards movements, you have succeeded with the natural sounding chord progression. Sort of a flower power song, the band supports that mood nicely in a homespun way.
Janne
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As Marty wrote on SC: "Man, well said, well played." Not only in the US, but also in the UK and other places there's barely a future for the young - or for families!. I'm just so glad I was a teenager in the 60s and don't have much longer in this utterly corrupt world.
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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Just read the title --where do I sign? Speaking of which, I guess I forgot to push ALL for notifications on you videos. Corrected that. Yep, I'm signed up to get notice as soonas you post.
... I'm on my 3rd listen, one on SC, and two on YT. Very different. I like the YT one better, although SC notoriously (yet arguably) has better sound quality. Keep challenger yourself, Andrew, and keep posting the wonderful results. Thanks for your listening and watching support Marty! SC v YT - that’s an interesting point. I might have to do a comparison with a song where I’ve posted exactly the same mp3 to both. Andrew D
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What a great message, "You have to seek the best in all, lifting up those prone to fall" and "Building bridges and being kind, reaching out without losing your mind", such pleasant positivity in finding the common ground.
Very catchy chorus. Good vocals and the harmonies work very well. I enjoyed the upwards & downwards movements, you have succeeded with the natural sounding chord progression. Sort of a flower power song, the band supports that mood nicely in a homespun way. Thanks Janne! Lyrics aren’t my strong point or my greatest interest in the process of songwriting, but those lines I am pretty happy with - thanks for noticing. The chorus does stand out - aided by the mellotron sounding keys and the tension created in the pre-chorus. I don’t think it would stand up on its own, but is greatly helped by the things around it. Andrew D
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As Marty wrote on SC: "Man, well said, well played." Not only in the US, but also in the UK and other places there's barely a future for the young - or for families!. I'm just so glad I was a teenager in the 60s and don't have much longer in this utterly corrupt world. And well said to you Chay! I think we have to be very careful we don’t disenfranchise the next generation to the point that they take it to the streets. After all, they are our future. Andrew
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Hi Andrew,
I enjoyed your song, thanks for sharing it!
I especially liked your chorus, with its strong chord progression, your lyrics, and the guitar.
Like DC Ron, I didn't mind the contrasting themes of the verse and chorus at all.
I listened to both the Soundcloud and YouTube versions, and like another commenter, I preferred the YouTube version.
Keep up the good work!
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Hi Andrew,
I'm hearing a Fool on the Hill kinda vibe to this very touching song, giving sagely advice to our younger generations. The piano, at least to my ears, felt a little too forward during the verses. Just me? But it's another interestingly constructed song. I like the contrast!
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… I'm hearing a Fool on the Hill kinda vibe to this very touching song, giving sagely advice to our younger generations. The piano, at least to my ears, felt a little too forward during the verses. Just me? But it's another interestingly constructed song. I like the contrast! Hi Beth The ‘Fool on the hill’ vibe might be the mellotron I was trying to create - and maybe became obsessed with?  That is in the chorus. The piano in the verses… I’m wondering if you mean my ‘morse code’ guitars as there’s no piano in the verses - hold on, I might have to check. Someone else (Herb I think) commented those guitars might be too forward. The contrast in chorus lyrics sort of became resolved in my mind by a double meaning - to my generation to be more compassionate and generous, and to next gen maintain hope. Andrew
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Really liked this project…groove was excellent, instrumentation ++…very catchy title/hook!
Two comments:
1) I think there are places as the end of segments where it would more effective to have a hold, like on the phrase “without a home”..I’d hold there, then kick back into the next segment…creates kind of a spacing
2) there are a couple of lyric words that sound a little awkward, like flap-PING…maybe just change how you sing it or find an alternative that’s smoother..when it happens right at the top of the song I think it puts the listener on guard in the wrong way to see “how is he going to make THAT smooth out?”
Great work! Those long bathroom visits are worth it, no matter what she says about it!!
Windows 11, Intel Core i5-8600T 2.3Ghz, 16 gig ram, BIAB 2025 MegaPak, SampleTank 4, Keystation49 Kybd, Neewer NW-800 mic
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Really liked this project…groove was excellent, instrumentation ++…very catchy title/hook!
Two comments:
1) I think there are places as the end of segments where it would more effective to have a hold, like on the phrase “without a home”..I’d hold there, then kick back into the next segment…creates kind of a spacing
2) there are a couple of lyric words that sound a little awkward, like flap-PING…maybe just change how you sing it or find an alternative that’s smoother..when it happens right at the top of the song I think it puts the listener on guard in the wrong way to see “how is he going to make THAT smooth out?”
Great work! Those long bathroom visits are worth it, no matter what she says about it!! Thanks Tom! 1. Good idea! 2. I had a gut feeling that word wasn’t best - should’ve been more attuned to it. Andrew
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Andrew, an excellent song with a great message.
I listened to the Youtube version as I like to hear others play their instrument. You are a very talented multi-instrument musician as well as an excellent singer.
Great mix also.
One of your best for sure.
The bumper sticker said "I'm a veterinarian, therefore I can drive like an animal".
Suddenly I realized how many proctologists are on the road.
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Andrew, an excellent song with a great message.
I listened to the Youtube version as I like to hear others play their instrument. You are a very talented multi-instrument musician as well as an excellent singer.
Great mix also.
One of your best for sure. Thanks Mario! I will probably continue releasing duel versions of songs in future because I feel there is something authentic about doing as much of it myself where I can, but also a BIAB version to acknowledge this forum, the product, and that a lot of my song development and inspiration comes from using BIAB. Andrew
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Andrew,
Nicely done.
Good use of BIAB and nice use of your own many talents.
A strong Chorus!
And clever song idea...
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